Philips Terminal Keyboard X3315-002 and unknown switches
Posted: 07 Mar 2017, 10:54
Hej all!
If you have been following the Identify This Keyboard thread (keyboards-f2/identify-this-keyboard-thr ... ml#p360790, I showed off a rather interesting, if idiosyncratic, terminal board produced by Philips sometime in the 80's in [West] Germany. Apparently the only thing I can find is that it is mated to an X3300 terminal, but cannot find anything about this except pictures.
Will repeat some pictures for sake of completeness.
Now regarding the switch, it is interesting. It was commented that superficially it looked like the [wiki]Ericsson_RMD_973_series[/wiki], but after a little debate (and even though the wiki article also seems to imply a previous specimen of the same board contained theses switches as well), I agree they are not the same as prior Ericsson RMD 973 specimens, especially after opening the switch itself.
Compare an ID-ed RMD 973 from an Ericsson 1121 board:
And the switch here (from this board):
There are similar features, but having cracked open the switch, the difference is apparent. The RMD 973 in the Ericsson 1121 (and others) have a long, flat metal leaf that is depressed when the slider goes down, whereas this new switch has two gold leafs on either side with a gold-plated spring that lowers itself onto the contact when the slider is depressed.
Here is it up:
And down:
Even though the overall shape of the housing/keycap/and even the switch cover is nearly identical, the mechanism is perhaps a bit more primitive in the RMD 973:
Besides the example from vsev (photos-f62/my-biggest-keyboard-shipment ... t9821.html) which seems to be identical, except a few keycap labels and his seems to have red leds), the only other example of this unknown switch is this Loewe (https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaa ... 1768508354):
Also, even though there are numbers on the top of the switch cover, there does not seem to be any logic. Some are 8 and some are 7... but everything seems identical.
Will continue poking around and figuring out stuff. It does look like the wiki for the Ericsson RMD 973 needs to be updated, since there doesn't seem to be a Philips specimen knowns (or at least that I found) and I will go ahead and gather info to add this to the [wiki]Category:Unknown_switches[/wiki] page.
My theory, since the top of the slider, the housing, and the cover are nearly identical (and just eyeing it up, look practically interchangable) that what is here on the Philips and present on the Loewe board are Ericsson switches, but of an unknown type. Either way, pretty cool.
In addition, I will experiment with trying to get scancodes and such off this badboy and restoring it. It is a really cool board.
Likewise, if anyone finds any info on this board, this switch, or the X3300 terminal, please send it my way (here is probably fine, for benefit of the group).
If you have been following the Identify This Keyboard thread (keyboards-f2/identify-this-keyboard-thr ... ml#p360790, I showed off a rather interesting, if idiosyncratic, terminal board produced by Philips sometime in the 80's in [West] Germany. Apparently the only thing I can find is that it is mated to an X3300 terminal, but cannot find anything about this except pictures.
Will repeat some pictures for sake of completeness.
Now regarding the switch, it is interesting. It was commented that superficially it looked like the [wiki]Ericsson_RMD_973_series[/wiki], but after a little debate (and even though the wiki article also seems to imply a previous specimen of the same board contained theses switches as well), I agree they are not the same as prior Ericsson RMD 973 specimens, especially after opening the switch itself.
Compare an ID-ed RMD 973 from an Ericsson 1121 board:
And the switch here (from this board):
There are similar features, but having cracked open the switch, the difference is apparent. The RMD 973 in the Ericsson 1121 (and others) have a long, flat metal leaf that is depressed when the slider goes down, whereas this new switch has two gold leafs on either side with a gold-plated spring that lowers itself onto the contact when the slider is depressed.
Here is it up:
And down:
Even though the overall shape of the housing/keycap/and even the switch cover is nearly identical, the mechanism is perhaps a bit more primitive in the RMD 973:
Besides the example from vsev (photos-f62/my-biggest-keyboard-shipment ... t9821.html) which seems to be identical, except a few keycap labels and his seems to have red leds), the only other example of this unknown switch is this Loewe (https://www.flickr.com/photos/triplehaa ... 1768508354):
Also, even though there are numbers on the top of the switch cover, there does not seem to be any logic. Some are 8 and some are 7... but everything seems identical.
Will continue poking around and figuring out stuff. It does look like the wiki for the Ericsson RMD 973 needs to be updated, since there doesn't seem to be a Philips specimen knowns (or at least that I found) and I will go ahead and gather info to add this to the [wiki]Category:Unknown_switches[/wiki] page.
My theory, since the top of the slider, the housing, and the cover are nearly identical (and just eyeing it up, look practically interchangable) that what is here on the Philips and present on the Loewe board are Ericsson switches, but of an unknown type. Either way, pretty cool.
In addition, I will experiment with trying to get scancodes and such off this badboy and restoring it. It is a really cool board.
Likewise, if anyone finds any info on this board, this switch, or the X3300 terminal, please send it my way (here is probably fine, for benefit of the group).